Monday, February 12, 2018

"Kill Shot" by Susan Sleeman

Some fears haunt you …When ballistics and weapons expert Rick Cannon learned the Department of Defense had developed self-steering bullets that show 100% accuracy and make even a gun novice a lethal sniper, he feared they would eventually end up in the wrong hands.Until they become reality.That fear comes true when a vet is killed with stolen “smart bullets.” Rick and his FBI task force, nicknamed The White Knights, are soon charged with finding and stopping the killer. Rick enlists the help of the victim’s therapist, Olivia Dobbs, who is well known for her success in counseling military vets with PTSD. But when the killer sets his sights on their key witness, Rick must rely on the skills he learned as a Marine sniper to make sure the next bullet fired isn’t akill shot to take Olivia out.

Kill Shot is engaging romantic suspense. The second book in Susan Sleeman's "White Knights" series, it focuses on ballistics expert Rick. His team is called in when a homeless man is killed by a "smart bullet," and he is immediately drawn to Olivia, the therapist who found the dead man.

While Kill Shot isn't the most fast-paced suspense, it is engaging. And though it features a lot of military and technical terminology, I could easily follow along—Sleeman explained things without dumbing it down too much for her audience.

Rick and Olivia have a very interesting relationship; they're immediately attracted to each other, but she is initially a suspect, and Rick has lots of trust issues stemming from his childhood and his first marriage. The two end up spending large amounts of time together, as it soon becomes clear that Olivia is a target, and Rick becomes her protector. So even though the romance between Rick and Olivia moves quickly, it doesn't feel too fast because they are spending so much time together.

In addition to the main plot of the "smart bullet" killer, there are two other crimes Rick's team investigates: a bank fraud/identity theft regarding Olivia and an illegal weapons sales ring. It's not clear for most of the novel if these three stories are interconnected, and I enjoyed the way Sleeman resolved everything.

Overall, I really liked Kill Shot, and I'll definitely be coming back for more of Sleeman's "White Knights" series! 4 stars.
Note: While this is the second book in the series, you don't need to have any knowledge of the first book to enjoy this one.

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 inspirational/Christian and clean read romantic suspense books. Readers love her romantic suspense series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts thesuspensezone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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